Basketball makes Trent Paddon a better pitcher

As a junior, Trent Paddon finished with an overall record of 3-4 with a 1.43 earned run average in 63 innings pitched. The Yorba Linda High standout signed with the University of Oregon on Nov. 14. PHOTO COURTESY OF ROB PADDON

Trent Paddon would not be the superb, college-bound baseball player he is today had he not been the inexperienced basketball player he was in elementary school.

As counterintuitive that may sound.

"Baseball is so much slower, and at the time, I needed something faster to keep me occupied," said Paddon, who admitted to being burnt out from playing baseball exclusively as a toddler. "I wasn't always able to compete at other positions in baseball; I was always just a pitcher.

"With basketball though, I could compete at any position, and that was fun for me. That kept me going."

In recognition of signing his national letter of intent to play baseball at the University of Oregon in November, Paddon – a 6-foot-3-inch, 215-pound right-handed pitcher – took part in Yorba Linda High's National Signing Day ceremony last week.

"When I signed, I still had a full year of school left, so it was tough to get too excited," said Paddon, a three-year letterman in basketball and baseball. "It's still exciting, of course, because playing baseball is going to be my lifestyle for the next three, four years."

As part of the second freshman class in school history, the Yorba Linda native played junior varsity football, basketball and baseball. By his sophomore year, Paddon, 18, dropped football and split time honing his skills on the hardwood and the diamond.

"One of the hardest parts of playing two sports is finding time to practice both," he said. "I have to find a way to throw long-catch or a bullpen session three days a week during basketball season. That way, I can be right when baseball starts."

Formerly a starting pitcher whose fastball regularly topped out in the mid-80s, Paddon originally succeeded via pin-point location and the difference in speed between his fastball and his other two pitches, a curveball and a changeup.

As a junior, he finished with a 3-4 record, a 1.43 earned run average in 63 innings pitched and 75 strikeouts (to just 15 walks).

His most impressive achievement last season was nabbing a second-team All-CIF nod despite not throwing a pitch in the postseason (Yorba Linda finished fifth in the seven-team Empire League and missed the playoffs).

"I didn't have that impressive of a fastball last year," he admitted. "At the beginning of the summer, I asked scouts what the main thing they were looking for was. They said a plus (fast) fastball. They wanted me to hit my spots with a plus fastball."

During a summer in which he played on local scout teams for the Los Angeles Angels and New York Yankees – in addition to playing on various "Area Codes" teams – Paddon was clocked at 92 miles-per-hour twice during tryouts for the Area Codes squad.

"I took a lot of time off after last baseball season to let my arm rehabilitate," he said. "We had bullpens to refine mechanics, but it (throwing 92 mph) probably had something to do with mental power. ... Having someone tell me that I hit it sort of maximized what I could do on the mound."

"I want to be a guy who's consistently coming in and closing out the game year in and year out," he said. "I just like the mentality better. ... As soon as I get into the game, it's, 'Go' time. I get to give everything I have to three batters, and I like that pressure."

Still, Paddon – who averaged nearly nine points a game during basketball season – refuses to let his impending collegiate baseball career overshadow his final season at Yorba Linda.

"There's really no better feeling (than striking somebody out)," he said. "I love it when a guy goes up and takes his time getting into the box. He'll click his cleats, swing his bat around, and get all the way up to the plate. I'm like, 'Well, this guy is getting three pitches, then he's going to go sit down.'

"If you make me notice you, I'm going to go after you harder. ... I'm going to put you down."

As a junior, Trent Paddon finished with an overall record of 3-4 with a 1.43 earned run average in 63 innings pitched. The Yorba Linda High standout signed with the University of Oregon on Nov. 14. PHOTO COURTESY OF ROB PADDON
Yorba Linda's Trent Paddon signs his name to his letter of intent during a signing day ceremony at the school Wednesday. Paddon signed with the University of Oregon for baseball. JOSH MORGAN, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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